Travel expert Drew Binsky shares tips on Red Bull Can You Make It? cities

“I find Dutch people to be among the friendliest in Europe and the most open-minded. Very easy to approach,” Binsky says. “Also, if you can speak some English, you can get by with 99 percent of the people in Amsterdam.”

He goes on, “If you walk outside the main station, you’re in the middle of Amsterdam, so that’s a great area to talk with people. Various parks are really popular, like Vondelpark, which is my favorite park in all of Europe. It’s the most chill spot.”

“Barcelona is cool. It’s on the water, great nightlife, a lot of friendly people,” Binsky begins. “If you’re going to visit one place in the city, I would say the Sagrada Família church or Park Güell, a cool park with abstract art. Both were created by the artist Antoni Gaudí. The beaches are nice, and the Gothic Quarter is beautiful. That’s where a lot of the best cafes and restaurants are and where Park Güell is.”

“I’ve been to Budapest many times – a great city with a very warm, welcoming environment,” Binsky says. “It’s absolutely beautiful. The Parliament building is the most beautiful building in Europe, I think, and it’s a walking city. Getting lost on the side streets is my favorite thing there.”

“There’s a lot to do, and most of the action happens in the Jewish Quarter. It’s just buzzing,” he continues. “You’ll find way more English there then in a place like Barcelona, because that area of Budapest is a little more international – a lot of travelers and expats, and even the locals themselves, in my experience, speak pretty good English.”

“Copenhagen is similar to Amsterdam, with bike culture in both cities. Getting on a bike in Copenhagen is awesome if you get the chance. It seems like, because the weather is usually so bad in Scandinavia, when it’s nice – and I’m assuming it’ll be nice when Red Bull Can You Make It? happens in late May – people really appreciate the outdoors, and it’s so busy outside!” he says, pointing out that some of the sights to see are the Little Mermaid statue, the 17th-century Round Tower and the picturesque Nyhavn area.

“I really like Scandinavian culture; I think it’s easy to adapt to and easy to get along with people. English is everywhere. It almost feels like people have English as a first language – that’s how good they are,” he says.

“Milan feels a bit different than other Italian cities. I’m not sure why, maybe because it’s a world fashion capital,” Binsky muses. “The Duomo di Milano [cathedral] is a really cool building. That’s also where the main theatre [La Scala] is, and there are plazas and shopping districts nearby, so that’s the best walking district and the highlight of Milan for me.”

Because Berlin is the finish point for Red Bull Can You Make It?, team members may find themselves with time to relax, and they’ll get their cash, credit cards and phones returned to them as well.

“First of all, they should come say hi to me at the finish line. They can ask me any questions they want – I’m happy to talk about any country, and I would love to connect,” Binsky says. “I’m so happy that Berlin is the ending point. It’s like a hipster, artsy place, so one of the coolest things to do is visit the section of the Berlin Wall that’s all graffitied by local artists. Just walk down the wall, and you can see all the different murals and paintings.”

He adds, “Berlin has a younger population. It’s easier to connect with people, and English is very widely spoken. Locals in Berlin would love to sit down with you and hear about the experience that you went through for the last seven days. It’s a really cool place for that.”

Because Red Bull Can You Make It? participants barter for everything they need, they must frequently approach strangers. Binsky has a tip that’s worked for him all over the world:

“Don’t just run up to someone and tap on their back. Really try to feel them out by doing the smile trick,” he urges. “Make eye contact and smile. If they smile back and maybe nod, then it’s much easier to approach them. That’s the best tip!”